Workers and the community are heartbroken as the Dunbar Starbucks, a beloved spot shared by locals and generations of St. George’s students alike, will be closing its doors at the end of this month. Due to a natural lease expiry, the popular café is closing permanently, and the brand has no plans to open another store in the area. 

Starbucks employees attested to the communal value of the Dunbar store. Shari, a long-time employee, is saddened to no longer serve the community she’s gotten to know over three years. When asked about her plans succeeding the September closing, Shari is confident that she will remain with the brand in the future, likely transferring to a nearby store. Ella, another employee, noted that “this Starbucks feels different, it’s homey and cozy.” The small Dunbar location had a larger emphasis on community, unlike the store in Kerrisdale she is hoping to be transferred to. 

Apart from holding value amongst the local community, the Dunbar Starbucks served as a convenient stop for temporary visitors and workers looking for a quick meal. Gary and Max, construction workers from across the street, remarked that drop-ins to the coffee shop have become a vital part of their routine. “We’re probably gonna die… I’m not joking,” Gary said with a grim look on his face. 

Similarly, Cameron Tsang, a Grade 12 student at St. George’s, is disappointed that the Starbucks is leaving Dunbar, having made weekly stops at the busy location; unlike the construction workers, Cameron is willing to spare extra time in his schedule to travel to the nearby Tim Hortons. 

The reason behind the abrupt closing remains ambiguous

The Dunbar Starbucks is among the few unionized coffee shops to date; it is the fourth store represented by the United Steelworkers Local 2009 in all of British Columbia. Is it a coincidence that the only unionized Starbucks is closing? 

 Many members of the community share their speculations. Shelina, another long-time employee at the coffee shop, believes the closing to be a corporate jab at the employees: “It’s retaliation because we unionized.” 

Other individuals share a similar skepticism regarding the union fiasco. Courtney Klassen, the head of grade 12 at St. George’s School, remarks that it is “conveniently coincidental” that such a store is closing.

Others, like Cameron, are completely unaware of the union controversy, believing the factor to be unrelated if not negligible in relation to the closing. 

Even with the Starbucks gone, it’s unlikely that the ebb and flow of Dunbar will die down anytime soon. Students and community members remain curious as to what will replace the coffee shop.